@BonniesBaseball Completes Three-Game Sweep Over Dayton

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure baseball team (16-20, 6-9 Atlantic 10 Conference) completed its first three-game series sweep in more than a year on a gusty Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 victory at home over the Dayton Flyers (9-31-1, 3-15 A-10) to extend its season-best winning streak to five straight.

Junior Joel Rosencrance led the charge for the Bonnies on the mound and at the plate. Rosencrance threw six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out six UD batters. He is now 4-3 on the year. As a starter, he is 4-1 with an ERA of 2.42, 27 strikeouts and four walks allowed in 26 innings. He helped his cause by going 1-3 at the plate with two runs batted in.

The right hander was helped out by a trio of seniors. Left fielder Eric Jutca went 3-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. SBU's leading hitter, Jason Radwan, joined in going 1-4 with a triple, a run and an RBI. Catcher Nick Lohrer contributed by going 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Also, Billy Urban and Austin Ingraham went 2-4 in the game with two singles each.

Freshman Drew Teller entered in the 7th inning to protect a 5-2 St. Bonaventure lead, and did just that by tossing two shutout innings in which he allowed just one hit. After classmate Ryan Winton walked the first two batters in the 9th, Billy Urban came on to collect his team-leading fourth save of the season.

During its current winning streak, The Bona pitching staff has allowed no more than two runs in each game and has lowered its collective ERA to a season low 5.33.

In the 1st inning, the Bonnies started off hot with four straight hits beginning with a single from Jutca. Radwan brought in the first run with a triple through the right side after the Dayton right fielder took a wrong approach, allowing the ball to roll all the way to the wall. Rosencrance helped himself by bringing in the second baseman from third to make it 2-0 at the end of 1.

Jutca led off the 3rd inning for the Brown and White and he tripled down the left-field line. Rosencrance hit a sac fly to bring in the runner for a 3-0 Bonnies lead.

Thaddeus Johnson began the 4th with a walk and was sacrificed bunted over to second by Bret Heath. The senior Lohrer singled up the middle to bring home Johnson. Michael Meredith laid down a second sac bunt of the inning to move the catcher over to second. Jutca continued his hot hitting on the day by bringing in the runner from second, giving SBU a 5-0 lead.

The Flyers got two runs back in the 6th, but entered the ninth 5-2. After the first two hitters were walked in the 9th, Urban moved from third base to pitcher looking for the save. The first batter he faced he got to ground out to third and the runners were able to advance to second and third with one out. After hitting a batter to load the bases Urban induced a game-ending 5-3 double play ball to clinch the 5-2 victory over the reigning A-10 champions.

St. Bonaventure is back in action Tuesday, April 30 against Canisius. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Fred Handler Park.

Game Notes: The last three-game series sweep by the Bonnies was against George Washington on April 20-21, 2012 … St. Bona's had a season-high two triples … the Brown and White are now 7-1 at home this year … Radwan's last at bat of the game was his 700th of his career; he has 240 career hits, only 23 hits away from the all-time record.